Makoto here, right in the thick of student life.
My days are all about studying, but I thought I'd write a little about my life after school for a change.
ASHLAND, where UBI is located, is mountainous, so naturally, I'm never at a loss for trails. If I hop on my MTB from home and tackle a 30-minute climb one way, a fantastic downhill trail awaits me.
Like this.
School ends at 5:00, and if I dash home and get ready, I can manage to head out by 5:30. I do this every day, but, well, you have to climb to get down, so I'm climbing hills like this every single day.
This kind of incline in a normal residential area is brutal.
It's frustrating that it doesn't look that tough in the photo.
Then, just 10 minutes from there, you're already on gravel.
The gravel grinders I’ve been hearing so much about lately.
I really understand why they were created now.
I mean, flat, perfect gravel stretches for 50 or 60 kilometers, with no cars—it’s perfect for both a leisurely ride and for training.
It's just that on a road bike, riding on flat dirt like this is a bit rough.
And on a hybrid or a mountain bike, it’s a bit overkill.
That’s where the gravel grinder comes in; it’s perfect.
I truly feel that there’s a necessity for why these bikes came to be.
Anyway, after riding along this flat dirt road and getting closer to the summit, you reach the trailhead.
There’s a sign at almost every trail entrance, so you won’t get lost.
It clearly states who is allowed to use them, so there's no danger of accidentally barreling into a hikers-only path.
Bikes are prohibited here.
Better head somewhere else.
On bike-only trails, there are even man-made sections like this.
It's a bit broken, but this is what you call a ladder. You ride across the logs and jump to the other side.
There are so many wonderful trails like this that, even though I've only been here for about two weeks, I can ride every single day without ever getting bored.
Mountain biking is definitely fun, but only if you have a wonderful place to ride.
I hope that back in Japan, we can keep using trails while getting along well with other users, too.
Now then, after a quick ride, it has to be this.
American food and a beer.
This makes everything right.
Ah, today was a good day.
Huh? You’re curious, aren’t you?
About how my schoolwork is going?
Alright, ta-da!
It’s finally starting to look like a bicycle.
I can't wait to ride it.
That’s all I’m thinking about right now.